Tuesday, 8 March 2011

Revolts continue in Arab states

WHILE Libya's revolution has hit a stalemate, uprisings in other Arab states have been continuing.

Protesters in Yemen are increasingly confident of a break-through as mass demonstrations break out all over the country.

Reports The Financial Times: "Yemeni police opened fire on protesters in the capital Sana’a on Tuesday, wounding at least 65 people demonstrating for an end to President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s 32-year rule, witnesses said.

"Demonstrations demanding Mr Saleh’s resignation took place in the capital and throughout the country, with thousands reported to have taken to the streets in the south-western province of Dhamar – the seat of some of the president’s key tribal allies. Tuesday’s was thought to be the largest protest yet in the area."

And in Saudi Arabia opposition activists have called for a day of protest on Friday, March 11.

Eman Al Nafjan, author of the Saudiwoman's Weblog, writes in The Guardian: "It's very difficult to predict what will happen on Friday. My guess is that there will be protests.

"The larger protests will be in the eastern region and mostly by Shia Muslims. I also expect smaller protests in Riyadh and Jeddah.

"What tactics the security forces use will greatly influence not only the demonstrators but also the people watching from their homes.

"If undue violence is used against the demonstrators, it could possibly ignite the same fuse that led to full-blown revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya."

An overwhelming majority of people are happy to be living in this industrial capitalist world. We know this because we are told it constantly.
How could we foresee a near future in which the hypnotic spell is broken, the scales fall from a billion eyes and those who say 'Enough!' are revealed, all of a sudden, to be a gale force wind of revolt, a tidal wave of insurgent delight sweeping all before it, a minority so vast it will change everything?